Title: Undertow by Amber Lynn Natusch
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Details: 227 pages
Source: Bought

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How far does a girl have to run to escape a lifetime of pain and loss at the hands of Alaska's notoriously unforgiving Bering Sea? Twenty-seven-year-old Aesa Fredriksen thought landlocked Columbus, Ohio would suffice, and it does until the fear of regret drives her to return to Dutch Harbor in a final attempt to make amends with her nearly-estranged father. Intent on salvaging the wreckage of their relationship, she reluctantly agrees to join him—the only family she has left—as he heads out to fish for king crab, forcing her to brave the very waters that pulled him away from her as a child. The waters that stole her mother's life. When the day finally arrives for the Norwegian Queen to sail off into an uncertain future, Aesa can't help but fear the worst. Beyond the violent swells and impending storms, there is far more than death and danger awaiting her on her journey: love awaits her too.

Decker, a young but seasoned member of her father's crew, is a force of nature as strong as Aesa, He's her perfect match, and even she can't deny it. But he too is a man of the sea, and with memories of tragedy and abandonment etched so deeply into her mind, can she overcome her demons and let him in or will she drown in her darkness, forever caught in its undertow? .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Undertow by Amber Lynn Natusch was a beautifully written novel of grief, learning to forgive, and love.

It’s been nine years since twenty seven year old Aesa left her father and the cruel Bering Sea that took her mother away from her. Now she is returning to try and pick up the broken pieces of her relationship with her father. Aesa has agreed to go out to see with her father and his crew, expecting the worst to happen, but she is completely thrown by surprise. Aesa is getting along with her father, bonding with him even, then there’s Decker, a man who is stealing her heart, but is everything she doesn’t want, a man of the sea.

This book has stolen my heart, Amber Lynn Natusch’s writing is so beautiful, while reading the book I could smell the salty sea, I could feel the wind on my face, everything in Undertow is described through Aesa in so much detail you really feel as if you are there with her. The emotions that Aesa goes through are so strong you really feel for her as a reader, she feels so torn when it comes to her relationship with her father, and in a way her relationship with the sea. Undertow was filled with tons of inner conflict and seeing Aesa grow so much in just 227 pages of reading was amazing.

The romance in Undertow was a magnificent side benefit. I feel Undertow’s main focus was Aesa’s growth as a character, finding herself and forgiving her dad, then it was about her romance with Decker. The romance between Decker and Aesa was slow the first half of the book then really picked up the second half, which I am thankful for. The romance was just the cherry on top of what was already an amazing read without the romance. Decker is a man with a past that he has grown away from, he was caring, intelligent, patient, and just overall a perfect love interest for the main character Aesa who could be very difficult.

Overall Undertow was a splendid read, anyone that loves mature contemporary romance I believe will love Undertow! I am now an official fan of Amber Lynn Natusch and cannot wait to pick up some of her other novels after finishing Undertow!

“The smell of the sea called to a part of me – somewhere deep in my DNA. I wanted to hate it, fight it, but I could not. With eyes closed, I stood on the shore of the Bering Sea and reflexively inhaled the salty sweetness that stole my childhood, my mother, and nearly my sanity.”

 “She had a weakness for running. I had a weakness for her.” 

 “I am a man. I don’t run. I don’t lie. I don’t cheat, and I don’t use. I don’t find enjoyment in games, either. I’ve paid for my mistakes in life and learned from them. I know what I want, Aesa, and I want you. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

Title: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Details: 240 pages
Source: Netgalley

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Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.
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Gabie works at Pete’s Pizza, where she delivers pizzas in her mini cooper. Her co-worker Kayla switches Friday night with her. But when Kayla goes out to make a delivery, she doesn’t come back, and now she is missing. As if this wasn’t horrifying enough to hear, Gabie also learns that the man that has kidnapped Kayla, had originally asked if the girl with the mini cooper was delivering that night. Kayla was never the target he wanted…Gabie was. Now with the city of Portland on edge, Gabie and her coworker Drew will work together in trying to piece together where Kayla is, and who took her, before it’s too late.

The Night She Disappeared is a riveting on the edge of your seat mystery! The Night She Disappeared is written from various points of view, the main ones being Gabie, Drew, Kayla, and John Robertson (the man keeping Kayla hostage). Reading from all the different point of views makes this novel so much better, you will watch through Kayla and Drews eyes and them listening to how everyone suspects that Kayla has been killed, then in the next chapter you’re reading from Kayla’s point of view being trapped in a basement and having to call her captor ‘master’.

Kayla’s point of view is the most stressful to read, you don’t know if she will be around much longer, if her captor will kill her soon since she isn’t his intended victim, if she will try and attack her kidnapper, reading Kayla’s point of view was always the most ‘exciting’. Gabie is an interesting character throughout the novel, she is taking Kayla’s disappearance very hard and is feeling guilty that it should have been her, not Kayla taken that night. Also Gabie seems to have some sort of ‘6th sense’ the novel never goes into too much detail about it, but throughout the novel Gabie constantly says that she knows Kayla is still alive, that she can just feel that she is still alive. Not in the hopeful way, but that she actually feels something almost like a psychic ability telling her Kayla is still alive. Kayla and Gabie were the most interesting to read from, Drew was enjoyable, but Kayla and Gabie were always more exciting to read from.

Overall The Night She Disappeared was a great YA, suspense, mystery novel. You will be on the edge of your seat not knowing if they’re going to find Kayla in time, or if they will piece it together a little too late. This novel has suspense, mystery, a little bit of action, some romance, mental disorders, and just so many other factors that made this a great read!

Title: The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Details: 240 pages, released March 1st 2014
Source: Netgalley

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All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction.

Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?
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The Summer I Found You follows through the eyes of 17 year old Kate, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend of over a year Shelton. Kate is upset, and doesn’t know what to do. On top of going through the breakup she is still struggling with her Type 1 Diabetes, her family is worried about her since she is not taking it seriously, and she just wants it to go away.

The Summer I Found You also follows the eyes of 19 year old Aiden. Aiden has just come back from Afghanistan, after losing his right arm, and his friend Pilot. He’s having nightmares, sweating in his sleep, and has no idea what to do with his life now. These two will come together in a romance, but do they really have something, or are they both just using each other as a distraction from the chaos of their lives.

Jolene Perry is an author I have loved for along time, I have read 4 of her novels now and plan on reading many more. She is one of my favorite contemporary writers if it be YA novels or NA novels. Her novels are always so realistic, so heart breaking and warming, and she writes some great romance. Anyone that enjoys contemporary romance I highly suggest checking out her books, I have loved all 4 of her novels I have read! (Night Sky, Knee Deep, Falling, and The Summer I Found You)

This was such a splendid read! I completely devoured this book Monday morning, it’s a short book (240 pages) so it didn’t take me too long finish. Even though this book was shorter I could not believe how well I felt I knew the characters by the end of it. Kate and Aiden were both character that were so easy to love, and feel sorry for everything they were going through at such a young age. Even though both of them were going through so much I still felt they handled everything very well. Besides Kate and Aiden, Kate’s parents were both characters that were very likable, along with Kate’s best friend Jen who is the complete opposite of her.

Overall I just adored this book. There was romance, heart break, grief, struggle, friendship, family, everything that makes up an amazing heartwarming contemporary novel. For anyone not ready for the chilly weather that is going to hit Washington, and want a sweet contemporary novel, then I highly recommend The Summer I Found You.

Title: Hysteria by Megan Miranda
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Details: 336 pages, released February 5th 2013
Source: Netgalley

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Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.
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Mallory doesn’t remember what happened the night she killed her boyfriend Brian. The evidence shows it was in self-defense, but still her once loved town now hates her. To get away from everything, and get away from everyone that knows of her crime her parents send her away to her father’s old prep school, Monroe. Mallory just wishes none of this had happened, but to escape the memories of Brian and the glares from people in her town she agrees to go.

Since Brian’s death Mallory has been losing her mind, she’s hearing things, things that she shouldn’t be. When a student at Monroe is murdered, everyone looks to Mallory. Now Mallory must find out what is going on at Monroe to clear her name, or possibly find out that the monster has been her all along.

Megan Miranda has done it again! Being a huge fan of Megan Miranda’s book Fracture I was immensely excited to pick up her novel Hysteria. While Hysteria didn’t quite live up to the expectations Fracture had set for it, it was still an enjoyable read that was well worth the hours I invested into it! The problems I had while reading Hysteria were how unlikable most of the characters were (including the main character Mallory) and how some moments throughout Hysteria felt very repetitive. Besides those two flaws, Hysteria was a great creepy, eerie, roller coaster of a read packed with plenty of mystery!

Now while most of the time I did not enjoy Mallory as a character, she was still so interesting to read from! I couldn’t imagine what she was going through, she couldn’t remember the night she killed Brian, most people in her town hate her now, her own mother is scared of her (mother hides the knife block), she’s being sent to private school, there was just so much going on in her life! There was some parts where I felt bad for Mallory, but I constantly felt conflicted whenever I felt bad for her. She killed someone, and even if the court says it was self-defense, the fact that Mallory herself worries she is guilty makes it hard as a reader to feel bad for her. I have never read a book that made me question how I feel about the main character so much, and that made this all the more of an enjoyable read. In this case the character that will steal the readers heart is most likely going to be Reid, Mallory’s love interest at Monroe, he is such a caring and helpful character that it was hard not to fall in love with him!

Overall if you’re looking for a YA rad that gives you chills, has a great mystery, and plenty of twists and turns, then I highly recommend picking up Hysteria by Megan Miranda.

Title: Black Ice
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Details: 400 pages, released October 7th 2014
Source: Bought

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Brit Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants;but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there and in uncovering this, she may become the killer's next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?
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Becca Fitzpatrick is the best selling author of the Hush Hush series which is a YA paranormal series involving angels. I was personally not a fan of her popular series, so when I heard that she was coming out with YA, standalone, contemporary, thriller I was nervous to pick it up. Now after having finishing her newest novel Black Ice, I can say I am very glad I gave this author another chance!

Black Ice is a YA thriller that follows Britt Pffeifer, Britt still has feelings for her ex Calvin who broke up with her eight months ago over the phone. Now to prove to Calvin she doesn’t need him in any way she has planned a trip to backpack through the Teton Range with her best friend Korbie who happens to be Calvin’s younger sister. Britt knows she can survive out here, that is until a snowstorm hits on their way to the cabin they were supposed to meet Calvin at.

Stuck on the mountain Britt and Korbie decide to go looking for help, when they stumble upon a cabin in the woods with lights on, they think they’re saved. But little did they know that’s far from the truth. The two men staying in this cabin are criminals on the run, and the only way they’ll let Britt and Korbie go is if Britt uses her new survival skills and helps them get down the mountain.

This novel was a blast to read, there were twists and turns around every corner, a romance, survival, violence, it was from start to finish such an enjoyable roller coaster of a read. Now while I did see some of the ‘surprises’ in this novel a mile away, there was still some parts that shocked me and I did not see coming at all! The mystery part of this novel was good, but the thriller part was absolutely amazing!

One of the flaws in Black Ice I found was the characters. This was something I have seen other reviewers bring up too that they did not enjoy. While Mason I adored from the very beginning, the main character Britt, and her ‘best friend’ Korbie were a different story. Britt was mostly enjoyable, but she was a very ‘flip flop’ type of character, one minute she is trusting Mason and possibly having feelings for him, and then the next she is hoping her cheating ex boyfriend will find her and they will get back together. It got very frustrating, and then you have Korbie who is snobby and spoiled, she was a character I despised and I think will be hard for anyone to like while reading.

Overall though I still really enjoyed Black Ice. It was such a page turner that I read it in one sitting last night, I could not put it down! If you’re looking for a YA, Thriller, with some romance then look no further.

Title: My Beautiful Failure
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Details: 320 pages, released November 13th 2012
Source: Bought

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A haunting account of a teen boy who volunteers at a suicide hotline and falls for a troubled caller.

Billy is a sophomore in high school, and twice a week, he volunteers at Listeners, a suicide hotline.

Jenney is an incoming caller, a girl on the brink.

As her life spirals out of control, Jenney's calls become more desperate, more frequent. Billy, struggling with the deteriorating relationship with his depressed father, is the only one who understands. Through her pain, he sees hope. Through her tears, he feels her heart. And through her despair, he finds love. But is that enough?

Acclaimed author Janet Ruth Young has written a stunning and powerful story with no easy answers; it is about pain and heartbreak, reality and illusion, and finding redemption and the strength to forgive in the darkest of times.
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Billy is a sophomore in high school who has just joined as a volunteer for Listeners, a suicide hotline. On his first day he talks to a girl named Jenney, Jenney is close to breaking under the stress of her abusive parents and failing social life. The more Billy talks to Jenney the more he feels like he is falling for her, that he understands her for who she really is because he is having major family issues of his own, but Jenney’s calls are becoming more frantic and more frequent. Can Billy save someone he’s never met?

My Beautiful Failure was such a beautiful book, it had strong friendships, broken families, grief, struggle, mental disorders, depression, and love. It was a book that really made you think, and a book that had surprisingly a lot of mystery. Throughout the novel I found myself wondering, what is going to happen to Billy’s dad, is he going to fall back into his severe depression? Is Jenney crazy? Is Billy in love with Jenney, or just the idea of her? There were so many questions that would arise while reading that I felt I had to keep reading and find out what was going on.

My Beautiful Failure had a strong cast of characters. Even though I didn’t know much about Billy and Jenney besides the struggles they were going through I still felt a strong connection to both of them. Even with just hearing about the struggles they were going through I found myself seeing how strong and caring both of them were, which made me feel sad for them because no matter how kind they would be to the world, they wouldn’t get the kindness in return. Gordy who is Billy’s best friend was a character I also adored, he is probably one of the best ‘best friend’ roles I have ever read in a book, he isn’t a main character by any means, but he was so understanding of Billy and just overall an amazing friend. A few characters I found myself detesting was Billy’s family, his dad was selfish, his sister Linda was a spoiled brat, and his mom was absent. Billy’s family is a huge part in what made this book what it is, but I still could not stand any of them.

In the end My Beautiful Failure was one of the more beautiful and heart breaking books I have read to date. This is a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a YA contemporary that is heavier than most, this book deals with a lot more serious issues, and is not a book that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It is still worth the read, and I must say this book will easily make it into my favorite reads of 2014.

 "On my good days, few can defeat me." - Jenney page 1

In a few days I would start saving lives. But only if they wanted to be saved. - Billy pg 29

"I hate to drag anyone down" - "Drag me where ever you want. That's what I'm here for" -Jenney and Billy pg 172

"Goodnight, sweet Hallmark prince." -Jenney pg 183

Title: How my Summer went up in Flames
Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Details: 307 pages, released May 7th 2013
Source: Bought

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First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…
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Rosie had been with her boyfriend Joey for a year before she found out he cheated on her. To show Joey how upset she was over it, she took a box of mementos from their relationship, and set it on fire in his driveway. The only problem with Rosie’s little plan? Joey’s car ended up catching on fire! A few days later and she is being served with a temporary restraining order, and is getting the word stalker stamped on her forehead. Her parents don’t know what to do with her, and Rosie has completely gone off the deep end. Even though Joey cheated on her, and set the restraining order she still believes they can work it out and be together.

To get Rosie away from Joey and keep her from getting in more trouble with the law, her parents force her to go on a road trip with Matty, the next door neighbor who is like family. Rosie is dreading going from her loved New Jersey to Arizona with Matty and his friend Spencer, and Spencer’s brother Logan. But as they get miles and miles from New Jersey and Joey, Rosie is making new friends, maybe a new romance, and realizing that sometimes your first love, isn’t meant to be your only love.

I thoroughly enjoyed How my Summer went up in Flames! It was exactly what I was looking for to get myself out of the reading slump I have been in as of late. This was a read that was funny, light hearted, a little crazy, and a lot sweet. With a great cast of characters, hilarious banter, and a main character who starts out unlikable and develops into a main character you love, this is a read that was hard not to at least rate 3.5/out of 5 stars!

Like I said above, Rosie at first was not a likable character, and not very relatable for that matter. She was absolutely crazy over Joey, even though he had cheated on her, and filed for a restraining order. She still had it in her head, that they could just talk and work things out and be a happy couple. It was absolutely absurd! Everyone around Rosie knew she had lost her mind, but her. As the road trip goes on though, Rosie changes into a character that is stronger, more independent, and in all honesty a little more sane.

Besides Rosie you have Matty and Spencer who are geeks to the max, and so lovable because of it. You have Logan who is brutally honest, yet secretly so caring, and then Avery who is so quirky and out there you can’t help, but lover her too. Overall, How my Summer went up in Flames was the perfect summer read! I recommend this to any readers that love YA contemporary and are looking for something light, funny, and has a touch of romance!

•  Pros: Sweet, light read, good character development, funny dialogue
• Cons: were some unpredictable/unnecessary 'love' interests the author put in that felt odd, main character starts out unlikable

Title: 16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Details: 283 pages, Released March 4th
Source: Gift from author for blog tour
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Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

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Janet Gurtler has done it again, she has written a novel that breaks your heart, makes you angry, makes you sad, but in the end teaches you multiple lessons about life.

16 Things I Thought Were True follows Morgan, who starts off as a character hard to like. A video of her dancing around in her underwear has gone viral, and she has now been shunned by everyone she knows and once called friend. Morgan doesn’t care too much though, all she needs is her 4,000+ twitter followers, and her internet friends right? But when Morgan’s mother gets sick, and she goes on a road trip with two people from work to meet her dad for the first time, Morgan will learn that maybe living in real life is better than living on the internet.

Janet’s new novel teaches some amazing lessons that I myself should start following. 16 Things I Thought Were True teaches the readers the importance of human interaction, and the importance of living and enjoying your life and not getting caught up in the technology and social media of things. 16 Things also teaches the importance of surrounding yourself with true, good friends instead of putting up with people who treat you badly. Those were just a few of the messages/lessons this novel personally taught me, but there were even a few more messages than that.

Now that I have read 2 books by Ms. Gurtler I can easily say that she writes some of the most realistic characters I have ever read. The characters in her novels are never perfect, they’re never overly brave, or confident, they have insecurities and they break down. I wish I could go back to when I was in my teens and read books by Ms. Gurtler, I think they would’ve comforted me, reading a character that was so similar to me, a character that wasn’t perfect, that broke down sometimes, compared to reading about characters that were fearless and almost perfect.

16 Things I Thought Were True is a YA novel, but I would recommend this to adults just as much, I believe any adult could read this novel and take something from it that will stick with them. This novel not only taught great life lessons, but it also had beautiful friendships, a sweet romance, family drama, amazing character growth, and so much more. Janet Gurtler is an amazing contemporary author, and anyone that enjoys works by Sarah Dessen or authors similar should check out her work.

Pros

• Realistic characters
• Cute, sweet romance that wasn't the main focus though
• Amazing, strong friendships
• Great life lessons